Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-30
RATES FOR RICHMOND
REPRESENTATIONS MADE on OUR
BEHALF 10 THE RAILA0RD
COMMISSIONER.
Memorial Of the Delegates Of the Cham
Ter Of Commerce to the Board Sit
ting at Atlanta.

interests of this city before the United
States railroad commissioners, submit.
ted the following:
To the Honorable Interstate Com
mcrce Commission, Sitting a. At
Idntd, Ga:
We have the honor to be COM
mittee of the Chamber of Commerce OF
Richmond, Va, an organization formed
to promote the general progress and
prosperity of our city and to further
inst and equitable principles in trade.
The members of this chamber are COM
posed of our merchants, manufactu-
facturers, business, and professional
men generally, who are interested in
the welfare and prosperity Of our city
and State.
Your petitioners respectfully repre-
sent TO your honorable body, as fol-
lows-yiz:
4 very large portion of Richmond
was destroyed by fire at the time of Its
evacuation 10y the Confederate forces
and its business aud manufactures
almost completely changed or destroyed
by the results of the war. Notwith-
Standing this, and the additional fact
that the country around it was deyaS-
tated by the contending armies. our
people have, by energy and enterprise,
rebuilt our city, extended and enlarged
their manufacturing and mercantile
facilities. until we now have the largest
manufacturing and next to the largest
commercial centre south of the Poto-
mac. We employ aboutnineteen thou
sand operatives in our manufactures
alone, have taxable values amounting
to forty-eight millions of dollars, and
aggregate sales, according TO Govern
mcnt statistics, of nearly sixty-three
millions of dollars in 1885.
THE FOURTH SECTION.
These results could have only been
attained by reason of the facilities we
have received from the different rail-
roads which terminate at Richmond
and by means of cheap freight rates
which they have given us, and which
were absolutely necessary to enable us
to compete with other cities having
water communication with the same
markets. Our State has contributed
largely towards the construction ofsOme
of these railroad lines with the idea
principally OF thereby building mp
her chief and capital city, and
our city has also contributed to
them from her treasury with the same
end in view. These lines, some of
them thus commenced by State and
municipal aid, have been added to and
extended until they are now solely re-
lied on to reach the markets for Our
products and merchandise. On the
faith that we would continue to have
the means afforded by these railroads
for reaching these markets, thus Sc
cured at great labor and expense,
which We have enjoyed for years,
and with which the Government has
never heretofore mterfered, our mer-
chants and manufacturers have in
creased their investments, our opera
tives have in many cases invested their
eayncs in hOmos in our eity, aud the
changed condition OF afiairsl which will
necessarily follow an enforcement OF
the whole Of the fourth section of the
interstate commerce bill must OF ne
cossity work injury to many branches
Of our trade and mechanical industries,
inHlcting loss. not only nthOse actually
engaged it, those pursuits, but great
damage TO our whole community.
SOUTHERN MABKErs.
Tie peculiar reason why Richmonl's s
interest VIII be 50 iriuuously affected
by the enforcement OF 80 much OF the
fourth section OF said act rs prohibits a
greater charge for a shorter than for a
longer haul is found i'll the fact that, as
before stated, Iichmond has devoted
herself almost exclusively to building
up her railroad lines to reach the south
ern and western markets for her pro-
ducts, and she now has no other direct
mode of communicating with them !;
and while she is at the head OF nayiga-
ton on the James river QO deepen
which she has already expended from
her treasury large amount OF money,
and which, with proper aid from the
National Government, can IN the
course Of time be made a great
commercial highway, she has not
now a single steamer running to any Of
the southern States, all of which, how
ever, have either seaports or cities stu
atcd on large, navigable rivers, with
regl1larly-established lines Of steamers
plying between them and the cities of
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and
Baltimore, and by means of these lines
of steamers such cheap rates of freight
could he offered as would exclude Rlch-
mond from these markets entirely, pre-
venting her from trading with those
who are her natural friends, who wish
to trade with her people, with whom
she is more entitled to trade by reason
of her geographical position than any
Of the cities above named, and thus de-
feating the very object which the fourth
section of said act was framed for the
purpose of accomplishing.
MAhE Inn OtsAhA OsfbAsAfs
This law has wisely clothed your
honorable commission with the power
of SO administering its provisions as to
prevent such injuries to communities
as we apprehend will be inflicted on
the people of Richmond by the en-
forcement of the whole of said fourth
section of said act, and was so framed
to meet Just such cases as We now pre-
sent for the consideration Of your hon
orable body.
Our Government was founded upon
principles of equal justice and protec-
tion TO all, and We cannot believe that
the trainers of this act (many OF the
provisions of which are. in our judg-
ment, wise and salutary) ever intended
that it should have the effect of build
ing up few large commercial centres
at the expense running smaller ones; OF
destroying millions Of invested capital
and turning thousands of hon
est workingmen and women from
their regular avocations to find
;nterrniitinO employment or per-